Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-03-10
AN ORIENTAL WEDDING.
Scenes and Tableaux Representing Jew
ish Life In the Ifolr Land


ish Life In the Holy Land.
Wad-E!-Ward, the Hebrew and native
Of Jerusalam, delivered his,third and last
/ lecture last evening at the First Baptist
Church. before the largest audience that
has yet greeted him. By way of intro
duction, the speaker said that the customs
of the ancients are not all dead, and the
manner in which the Jews of the Holy
Land to-day observe their ancient forms
and usages is an evidence of that fact.
Palestine the land of story and history,
land which for ages has rested under some
unseen and blighting force, will yet be
known as the universal capital of the world.
The time will come when the wealth
of the nations will pour into that memore-
Bile eitv. now clothed in "desolation and
abomination." The speaker then Illus
trated, with the aid of twenty persons
dressed in oriental costume, the manner in
which Mohammedans perform their deyo-
tional service. The beginning of the third
prayer commences as follows: God, we
pray thee that we are not born like women,
without souls we thank thee that we are
the children of Islam, etc.
The next scene introduces the prelimi-
=.
The mother has already chosen the girl
whom she desires shall become the bride
of her son. The father then visits the pa
rents of the girl he makes known his mis-
sion and it is declined. A friend is then
called upon to intercede in behalf
of the boys father. Finally an agree
ment is made, and the price for
the daughter fixed and paid as
there is no book accounts opened
for this class OF business. The time for the
wedding is then fixed, one month hence at
full moon, the ceremony to take place be-
ore the midnight hour. The bride and
her attendants are then conveyed to the
home of her future husband, who now be-
holds her for the first time, but is not per-
mitted to see her face until she is presented
to him seven times. Then her veil is re-
moved. and the groom steps forward and
kisses his bride. During these presenta-
tons, which take place in the guests
chamber, the bride is accompanied by four
attendants who bear canopy above her.
None are permitted to remain unless they
have on the wedding garment, which is
furnished by the host. This is done, said
the speaker, so that none, however DOOR
can have an excuse for not being dressed
properly for the festivities, which continue
for seven days. As soon as the wedding is
over, food for the feast is brought in and
placed before the guests, who are all seated
on the floor. A covenant is then made
between those assembled, by each one
breaking bread and passing it one to an
other. The speaker said that when the
doors were once closed upon the guests
none would be permitted to enter, it max
ing no difference how near or dear rela-
tive the late conner might be.
The next tableau was a representation of
the feast of the Passover, and the confirm
alton OF a boy into the Jewish church On
the matter of divorces the lecturer said that
when man and his wife desired to sepa-
rate on the ground that they could not live
happily together, the husband provided his
wife bill of divorce and then she was at.
liberty to return TO her parents.
In concluding the lecture the speaker
said that the Persians and Circasians pro-
duced the handsomest women in the world
The various tableaux.were instructive and
the audience showed their appreciation by
frequent applause.